However, when Melanie is not busy being my hero, she also builds guitars! I think she told me about it when I first met her, but unless it’s all about me, I lose focus. Melanie ALSO is the person who built the beautiful, fake tree that “grows” inside of Wolff’s. She’s very talented. And very pretty. And very cool. If I like it then I shoulda put a ring on it.

From left to right: some girl, Melanie O'malley, her dad.

One day, when she was building the tree at Wolff’s, we had to go to my house so I could pay her off the books. It was very weird, because when I was explaining to her where I live, she was like, “weird, I used to build guitars with my dad in a building over there.” I was like, “whatever. let’s get back to talking about me.”

So as we were walking up to the back of the building where my house is, she was like, “oh my God, this is the same building!” We both started crying, and our mascara ran down our faces, and I showed her all the renovations I made to the space. It was a pretty cool moment, because the fact that my house used to be the place where Melanie and her dad made guitars I think is pretty awesome. To sound like a hippie, I always thought that the house I live in has “good energy” and I can’t help but think that has a lot to do with Melanie and her dad (and of course, Peter Leue, who had a woodworking shop in what is now my house just before I moved in.)

When I asked Melanie about her ties to the house, this is what she had to say:

…my dad was repairing and building guitars in the garage, with me in a car seat clamped to the bench. What ever [work] he did on a guitar I did to a Ukulele…. that ukulele is really messed up now haha. For most of my adolescence he built the guitars in what is now your apartment, and we traveled selling them at area festivals. At ten, I built my first guitar in what is now your laundry room, and at 15, I started building them professionally. We’re now based out of Castleton, and still a completely hand made local little guitar shop.

Isn’t that so effing cool!

I am now going to write a post about the guitar that I just bought from her…..

10 Responses

Matt,
If I’m identifying her correctly from her picture (and from seeing her at Wolff’s), I’ve also seen Melanie perform with the Bakerloo theater group is Troy. She was great! What a talented bartender you have!!
~Jessica

Yes she is awesome and I believe she is also your bartender who can’t eat gluten (like me). I love her because the first time I went to the biergarten she went through the entire menu with me and told me everything I could eat. Any other time I go down there she tells me what has changed and what I can’t eat anymore. By the way…can you guys get the Gluten free German beer, paaaalease